Automatic vehicle spring controller



May 31, 1927. E. DAvls AUTOMATIC VEHICLE SPRING CONTROLLER Filed March 27. 1926 J2 I N V EN TOR:

Y 6mm B I A TTORNEY.

Patented May 31, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE."

EMERSON DAVIS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE 1?.

RUTH, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE SPRING CONTROLLER.

v Application filed liarch 27, 1926. SeriaINo. 98,028.

This invention relates to apparatus whereby to control action \of vehicle springs,

especially those of motor-vehicles, to modify the spring action on rough roads and particularly when the motor-vehicle is traveling at high speed.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved vehicle spring controller which shall be of simple and efiective construction and adapted to be applied in various relations to Vehicle structures, to gradually'and smoothly retard the upward movement of a vehicle body caused by spring action.

Another object is to provide an improved vehicle spring controller which shall be of such construction as to be adapted to operate as a rebound check on automobiles and so constructed as to be adapted to be readily applied to existing automobiles, which shall be adapted to be slightly modified to permit it to be variously applied and whichshali be substantial, durable and economical in use.

With the above-mentioned and other objects in view, the .invention consists in an improved vehicle spring controller having co-operating spring and frictional resistance elements adapted to automatically operate with gradually increasing efliciency correspondingly to increasing needs for control; and further, the invention consists in various novel parts and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularly described and further defined in the appended claims. V I

Referring to the drawings,Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus applied to well-known parts of a popular motor Vehicle to illustrate one mode of application of the controlleig Fig. Qis anend view of .Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section of the principal ,str-uct-ure of the controller on an enlarged scale approximately on the line IIIIII in Fig; 1; i is a plan of the front plate or head which constitutes a frictional resistance ele- Y ment of the controller; Fig. 5 is a rear plan of a hub plate and lover arm comprised n the structure; Fig. (3 is a plan view of the inner side of the head or front plate; Fig/ 7 is a front VlGW of the housing part of the controller; and Fig. 8 isa perspective View of a friction washer comprised in the controller.

Similar reference characters in the different figuresof the drawings indicate corresponding elements or features of construction herein referred to in detail.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates *a common type of front axle bar of an automob1le which may be of any conventional or special type, 2 indicating a frame side bar, and 3- a suitable front springwhereby theaxle bar carries the vehicle frame, the "spring and the frame forcar-rying the automobile machinery and body being shown as such. shape as may be required to conform to V the'vehicle structure, the bracket having two opposite ears 8 and 9 provided with bolt holes 10 and '11'to receive bolts 12 and 13 respectively whereby to secure the housing sufficient to illustrate the purposes of the 111-, v

in the desired place, preferably to a side bar 7 of the vehicle frame. The housing has a central stud 14 castintegral with the back 4, the post preferably being casthollow and it has acylindrical guide portion 15 thereon from which a squared anchor portion 16 extends, the portions 15 and 16 having a bore 17' therein. The outerside of the back 4: has

boss '18 thereon in which is a socket recess 19 of suitable contour to conform to a bolt head, and the back ethas also an aperture 20 adjacent to the wall portion, and a central bolt hole 17 in which a bolt 21 is V A hub plate 25 of disk-like form has a central guide bore 26 that is arranged on the guide portion 15 of the stud and it has a rim flange 27 on one side thereof that receives the guide portion (3 of the housing body. The 'hub' plate has a lever arm 28 cast thereon which has a bore 29 therein receiving the shank portion 30 of a wrist pin 81 having a flange 32 on one end, .the wrist pin being seated against the arm and preferably having a bushing 33 rotatably arranged thereon. The shank has screw threads adjacent to its end on which a nut 35 is screwed against the lever arm. The hub plate 25 has also a rim flange 36 on its opposite side, and on its inner side has a lug ring 37 integral therewithgin which are a suitable number of notches 38, 38. friction washer 39 is arranged on the outer side of the hub plate within the flange 36 and preferably is composed of leather having a smooth front face, the rear face of the washer preferably being slightly rough so as to be adapted to slightly adhere and may be cemented to the hub plate to be turned thereby. W I

. An improved housing head 40 isprovided which is mainly disk-like and of suitable diameter to fit closely within the flange 36 and constitute a guide for the flange, the head preferably being composed of aluinr num and havinga smooth inner face 41,

squared portion 16, the grooves permitting an expansion of the washer into them. A metallic washer as is arranged against the .washer and is engaged by the nut 24.

whereby the face 41 is pressed with more or less force against the washer 39. Preferably the head is provided with a dust guard comprising an annular front plate Herrtending outwardfrom the head 40 past the flange 36 and having a rim 48thereon from which an. annularvback plate 49 extends inwardly towards the outer side of the flange 36 to constitute a boxing in which an annular elastic dust guard ring 50 is arranged so as to embrace the flange Y86 and exclude dustfrom the housing. i

A coil spring 51 is arranged within the 7 housing and it has a lug 52 on one end thereof that extends into the aperture 20, the

spring having also a lug 53 on its opposite end that extends inwardly into one of the notches 88, to resist movement of the lever arm 28 in one direction. The spring is designed to have contact with the housing "back 4 and to have contact also with the being composed of brass.

An anchor bar 55 is provided which is adapted to be seated against the axle bar 1, a clamp plate 56 being arranged on the opposite side oi' the axle bar and connected to the anchor bar by means of bolts 57 and 57 whereby the anchor bar isrigidlyse cured in place; The anchor bar is provided with a lug pin 58 having a collar 59.

thereon andpreferably being provided with a bushing 33. I or strap'lSO iscOnneCted tothe bushings 83 and 3 3":whereby the lever arm 28 -is 0peratively connected with the aXlebar.

In practical use, when the vehicle body s thrust upward the upward movement is resisted by the link 60, the spring 51 and the'head lO with the washer When the upward thrust of the body extremel violent the spring 51 becomes more tightly wound and the coil slightly elongated so that ncreased pressure 1S transmittedto the A preferably flexible link frictional washer 39 which cause's'i'nci'eased' fall of the axle. The spring 51 is to: be

properly adjusted to afford the required tension to constantly keep the link taut. Readjustments will be advantageous with changing of loads on the vehicle body.

Therefore easy riding may readily be attained under varying conditions of travel.

What is claimed as new 1s: 1. A vehicle spring controller having a lever arm and frictional resistance means and a single anchored and longitudinally expansible coil spring combined to'r'etard movement of the lever and resist rebound action of the vehicle springyand supporting means for the lever arm and also the frictional resistance means'and the coil spring.

2. A vehicle spring controller having a lever arm provided with co-operating elastic and frictional resistance means including a longitudinally .expansihle coil spring to retard movement of the arm, and means to support the co-operating resistance means and anchor the coil spring to ell ect increasing frietionalresistance upon excessive movement of the lever arm. i r

3. A vehicle spring-controller having a lever arm provided with a longitudinally expansible coil spring and frictional resistance Ineansco-opera'ting with the spring to yieldingly resist movement of the lever arm in one direction, a housing to hold the spring and the resistance means, the housing anchoringone end of the spring, and a link connected to the lever arm.

4. A vehicle spring controller having a housing and a coil spring therein, one endof the spring being anchored to the housing, a

lever having a hub rotatively guided on the housing and connected to the opposite end of the spring, a friction-contact disk yieldingly connected to the housing, and a triotion-resistance washer between the disk and the lever hub in contact therewith.

5. A vehicle spring controller includin a housing having a central stud and a head on the stud, a lever having a hub rotatively guided on the stud and movable longitudinally thereon, a coil spring seated in and anchored to the housing and bearing against the lever hub, and a frictional-resistance washer between the lever hub and the housing head in contact therewith.

6. A vehicle spring controller including a housing having a hollow cylindrical body and a central stud therein, a lever hub rotative-ly guided on the stud and having a rim flange on the front thereof, a head on the inside of the flange and supported on the stud, the head having an annular clustguard box thereon that extends over the flange, an annular dustguard in the box and embracing the flange, and a coil springanchored in the housing and connected to the lever hub.

' 7. A vehicle spring controller including a housing having a bracket thereon to support it, a hub and a lever arm thereon, the hub being rotatively arranged on the housing, a coil spring in the housing anchored thereto and connected to the hub, a stud rigidly connected to the housing and extending through the hub in guiding connection therewith, a head mounted on the stud outside the hub, an anchor bar having a lug pin thereon, a clamp bar and bolts to cooperate with the anchor bar, and a link connected with the lever arm and the lug pin.

8. A vehicle spring controller including a housing having a hollow central stud therein, a lever hub rotatively guided on the stud, a coil spring anchored in the housing and connected to the hub, a head arranged on the stud outside the hub and movable longitudinally of the stud, means preventing rotation ot the head on the stud, a frictionalrcsistance washer between the hub and the head in contact therewith. a bolt connected to the housing and extending through the stud, an elastic washer seated on the outer side of the head. a metal washer bearing on the elastic washer, and a nut on the bolt bearing on the metal washer.

9. In a vehicle spring controller, the comthereon extending about the, housing, .the

inner side of the hub having a relatively hard :washer thereon at the innerside of .the

flange, and a coil spring seated in the housing and anchored thereto and connected with the lever hub, the spring bearing against said Washer.

10. Ina vehicle spring controller, the combination ofa housing having a bracket thereon to support it, a stud rigidly connected to the housing, a lever hub rotatively guided on the stud, a coil spring anchored to the housing and connected to the hub to rotate the hub in one direction, a head mounted on the stud and cushioned to yield outwardly from the hub, and a frictional-resistance Washer carried by the hub in sliding contact with the head to constantly resist rotation of the hub.

11. In a vehicle spring controller, the combination of a housing comprising a back plate anda cylindrical body integral therewith, a stud connected to said plate, a lever hub rotatively guided on the stud and having a guide flange on its outer side, the hub having a rim flange on its opposite side to close the housing body, a coil spring anchored to said back plate and connected to the lever hub, and a head mounted on the stud outside the hub and provided with a dust-guard cooperating with said guide flange.

12. In a vehicle spring controller, the combination, with a housing having a bracket to support it, of a hub rotatively guided on the housing and having a lever arm thereon, a coil spring anchored to the housing and con.- nected to the hub', the spring being tensioned to turn the hub in one direction, an anchorage device, a link connected with the lever arm and the anchorage device to turn the hub in the opposite direction, and frictionalresistance means operating on the hub to frictionally resist action of the coil spring.

13. In a vehicle spring controller, the combination of a housing comprising a, back plate and acylindrical body integral therewith, a stud supported on said plate, a lever hubrotatively' guided on the stud and having a flange guided on said body, the hub having also a lug boss on its inner side, a coil spring arranged within said body and bearing against said back plate and said hill), the spring being anchored to the plate and connectedto the lug boss, and a head mounted on the stud and assisting in guiding the lever hub. I 14. In a vehicle spring controller, the combination of a housing comprising a back plate and a cylindrical body, a hollow stud rigidly connected to said back plate and having a cylindrical portion and a squared portion, a lever hub rotatively guided on said cylindri- 'cal portion, a coil spring; anchored to said Washer carried by said hub in sliding contact 7 with said head, a bolt connected to said back plate and extending through said stud, a

the cushion Washer, and aunt on the bolt in 1 contact with the metal Washer. V V

In testimony whereof, I affix mysignature on the 23rd day of March, 1926, 1

' EMERSON DAVIS. 

